Video Operation: A Checklist to Work Through Before You Decide

Start with what the programme actually needs

Most problems with a camera and vision mixing booking begin with a vague description of the job. Before anyone talks about crew numbers, write down what the programme is: a short news bulletin, a studio show with guests, or an outside broadcast from a street, hall or field. Each of these asks different things of an operator, and the answers shape every later decision on this list.

Then say how long the production runs, including set-up and rehearsal, not just the time on air. A bulletin that lasts ten minutes may still need a morning in the studio to line up shots, check audio and run through the running order. Operators plan their day around the whole booking, so a realistic figure here saves an awkward conversation later.

Finally, note who will be giving instructions on the day. One named contact, usually the producer or director, keeps decisions quick and avoids two people asking for opposite things.

• Type of programme and where it will be shot
• Total booked hours, including set-up and rehearsal
• One named person who gives direction on the day

Count the cameras and the positions

Decide how many cameras the programme needs and where each one stands. A single locked-off camera on a presenter is a very different job from three cameras covering a presenter, a guest and a wide shot. More cameras mean more operators, more cabling and more for the vision mixer to follow, so the number should come from what the audience needs to see, not from habit.

Think about movement as well. Handheld work, a pedestal in a studio and a tripod on an uneven outside site each need a different kind of operator and different kit. If a camera must follow a speaker across a room or along a route, tell us early, because that affects both the operator brief and the signal path back to the mixer.

Check the venue for sightlines too. A pillar, a balcony rail or a crowd standing up can ruin a planned position, and it is far easier to spot that on a site visit than during the first rehearsal.

• Number of cameras and who or what each one covers
• Fixed, pedestal or handheld positions
• Sightlines checked against the real venue

Decide who cuts the pictures

Vision mixing is the part many first-time bookers forget. Someone has to choose which camera goes to air and when, following the director's calls or the running order. Decide whether you want a mixer working to your director, or an operator who also takes some of that responsibility on a smaller job.

On a live show the mixer needs to see every camera, any graphics and the programme output on monitors, and to hear the director clearly on talkback. Ask yourself whether the room or truck you are using provides that, or whether kit has to be brought in. A mixer squeezed into a corner without a clear view of the monitors is a risk to the whole broadcast.

Agree too how graphics, captions and pre-recorded clips are triggered. If another person runs them, the mixer and that person need to rehearse their handovers together, even briefly.

• Mixer working to your director or alongside the operator
• Clear view of all monitors and reliable talkback
• Who triggers graphics and clips, and when they rehearse

Check where the pictures go afterwards

A good camera feed is only useful if it reaches the right place in the right format. Before you decide, find out what the receiving broadcaster, news desk or screen needs: resolution, frame rate, audio layout and any delivery deadline. Operators set up cameras and the mixer to match, and changing the format halfway through a rehearsal is an avoidable delay.

Ask whether a backup is required. A second recording of the programme output, or an isolated recording of each camera, costs a little extra but can rescue a show if a live feed drops or if the editor later wants a different cut. It is worth deciding on this before the day, not during a fault.

Confirm who receives the finished material and how quickly. If a news programme needs clips within the hour, the operator and the distribution side should know that from the start.

• Required resolution, frame rate and audio layout
• Whether backup recordings are needed
• Who receives the material and by what time

Walk the site and the schedule

If at all possible, visit the venue or studio before the day with the person who will lead the crew. Look at power points, cable runs, lighting, background noise and where the vision mixing position will sit. Ten minutes standing in the actual room reveals things that no floor plan shows, such as a door that cannot be propped open or a window that floods the set with afternoon sun.

Then look at the schedule honestly. Allow time for the crew to arrive, set up, test every camera and run a rehearsal before anything goes live. In mid autumn the light fades earlier, so an outside broadcast that ran comfortably in summer may need lamps or an earlier start. Weather cover for cameras and cables also deserves a line in the plan.

Finally, agree what happens if something goes wrong: who decides, and what the fallback picture is.

• Power, cable runs, lighting and noise checked in person
• Arrival, set-up and rehearsal time written into the plan
• A named person who decides if a fault occurs

Ask for the arrangements in writing

Once the points above are settled, ask for a written quotation that states what is included: the operators, the mixer, the kit, the hours and any travel. Check it against your list. If the number of cameras, the delivery format or the backup is missing, ask for it to be added before you agree, not afterwards.

Be clear about what would change the price, such as extra hours, additional cameras or a change of venue, and how any change will be confirmed. A calm exchange of emails before the day is far better than discovering a gap on site.

If you are unsure about any item on this list, send us what you have through the contact page and we will go through it with you. Plans rarely arrive complete, and a short conversation usually fills the gaps.